Prelude to Foundation

Prelude to Foundation is a novel written by Isaac Asimov. It is one of two prequels to the Foundation Series. For the first time, Asimov chronicles the life of Hari Seldon, the man who invented psychohistory and intellectual hero of the series.

Warning: Plot details follow.

Plot

The story takes place on Trantor during the reign of Emperor Cleon I. It starts with Hari's presentation of a paper at a mathematics convention detailing how psychohistory might be possible. The Emperor of the Galactic Empire learns of it, and wants to use Hari for political gain. After an interview with Hari, however, he concludes that Hari is of no use to him.

Hari then meets reporter Chetter Hummin, who convinces him that Cleon's first minister Eto Demerzel is after him, and that it is imperative for Hari to escape and to try to make psychohistory practical. Hari therefore goes on his "Flight", and is introduced to Dors Venabili by Hummin. Hari takes an immediate liking to Dors, and (in a later book) marries her.

Hari narrowly evades capture at Streeling University, following which the pair move to Mycogen, where Hummin arrives in the nick of time to save them from certain death. The action then shifts to Dahl, where Dors displays her amazing skills at knife fighting. In Dahl they meet a guttersnipe named Raych (whom Hari later adopts as his son), and Yugo Amaryl (who would become Hari's partner in developing psychohistory).

Towards the end, the three are kidnapped to and rescued from Wye, a powerful sector at Trantor's South pole. The finale tells us that Hummin is actually Cleon's first minister Eto Demerzel, who we later learn is in fact the robot R. Daneel Olivaw. By the end of the novel, Hari suspects Dors of being a robot too. (A theme that would be picked up in Forward the Foundation)